Angel
by LotRia
Summary: The Ronins are on a volunteer school trip to Phnom Penh in Cambodia to help teach English to young children but fate is not in their favor. Based on Dateline's "Children for Sale" Special… the Ronin Warriors will come face to face with a monster not of the Supernatural realm, but possibly their greatest challenge yet. Non-con M/M & M/F implied.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a short first chapter, I know. They get longer and more detailed as the tale goes on. This is my first ever RW story. I have further chapters already written in more detail. Please read and review if you'd like to see more! I haven't been writing for a while so this may be a little rusty.

In Short:

The Ronins are on a volunteer school trip to Phnom Penh in Cambodia to help teach English to young children when they bump into a shady looking character whose glance lingers a little too long for Ryo and Sage's liking; but Rowen convinces them there is no threat and they continue on with their business. The stranger, who is on a cell phone, becomes immediately intrigued by Sage's exotic look and mentions to the mysterious man on the phone that he's found a new target.

Based on Dateline's "Children for Sale" special from 2004… the Ronin Warriors will come face to face with a monster not of the Supernatural realm, but possibly their greatest challenge yet.

 **Chapter One**

"One day down!" Kento shouted cheerfully as the five Ronin Warriors left the hotel in street clothes. The volunteer school trip was clearly not Kento's idea of a good time but with his four friends attending, he wasn't about to be left behind.

"Calm down Kento." Cye shushed him. "We still have another day to go."

"I know that, I'm just ecstatic that we get some time out on the city unchaperoned."

"You're just excited about getting dinner Kento." Ryo mentioned while taking in the scenery.

"Well it's a new country with new types of food to try. Can you blame me?"

The five boys laughed a moment before moving on ahead to what looked like the closest restaurant. Ryo continued to observe the bustling city and was surprised to feel the hair stand up on the back of his neck just slightly. They were being watched.

Kento bounded into the open door of the eatery with Cye on his heels - concerned about his bulkier friend ordering everything on the menu if unsupervised.

Ryo had stopped and was scanning the crowd for the perceived threat. Sage, being the most observant member of the group had also noticed a pair of eyes stalking them from the crowd; so Rowen and he stopped to confer with Ryo.

"You pinpoint our mysterious onlooker yet?" Ryo spoke softly to Sage.

Sage nodded to confirm. "He's just up the street. Gray jacket and sunglasses. Talking on a cell phone. He's too far to hear but his emotions seem intense. I'd say he's definitely talking about us."

"It's likely because we're tourists," Rowan commented back, attempting to explain away any unease in light of what was supposed to be a fun trip. "Let's just go into the diner. If he does want something from us, he'll have to follow."

"I've got a bad feeling about this Ro." Sage responded, not at all feeling comforted by his friend's calmness.

Ryo wasn't feeling so confident either. As the leader of the group, it was his job to protect his friends. If this shady character was a threat, he should be confronted.

Rowen pushed Sage slightly toward the open restaurant door and pulled Ryo with them by his bicep. "Listen you two, if he is a threat, he'll have to face all five of us and our mystical armors. Let's just stay together and try to enjoy the evening.

And so they did… with no further interaction from the mystery man in the dark glasses.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: After some thought, I've decided this story is going to move into the action very quickly. You'll find that later chapters are longer winded because I wrote them a long time ago... before filling in other parts of the story, like the introduction which was unbelievably short. Anyhow, I hope the pace and short settings are pleasant for reading. Reviews are love! Please leave me feedback! Thank you!

Setting:

After a second day of volunteer work, the boys find themselves off to the airport for their flight home. Little do they know, their stay is about to be extended.

Chapter Two

Sage held tight to the motorcyclist seated before him. Phnom Penh wasn't exactly known for the quality of its streets as they seemed to hit every crack and pothole in the dilapidated road. In this area of town, the dust being kicked up by the cycles made it nearly impossible to see his friends ahead – which is why it took Sage a minute to realize that the last turn his driver made had separated him from the rest of the group.

"Hey!" Sage hollered against the wind, trying to get the driver's attention. It didn't work. In fact, the motorcycle seemed to speed up.

Using his balance and agility from years of battle, Sage released his hold on the driver and dislodged himself from the bike. He rolled tightly against the ground before getting his feet back under him. Sage stood straight and on alert, wary of his unfamiliar surroundings.

Realizing he had lost his passenger, the motorist spun back around and approached the blonde teenager. "You get back on bike. To airport."

"Where are the rest of my friends? They were also going to the airport."

"We meet them. Short cut. Very fast. Short cut. Get on."

"No" Sage responded firmly. "Point me back to the main road and I'll get another ride. No short cut."

The driver glanced at his watch. "You will be late. Get on."

Sage took a step back. His senses were screaming at him to run. The taxi driver was clearly impatient and on instinct, the teenager knew this man had his own agenda.

"Get on. You will be late."

Sage shook his head and turned to jog back the way they had come, he glanced back occasionally. The biker did not follow but was talking very frantically on a cell phone.

Just before making it back out to the main road, Sage found himself confronted by three larger figures that had appeared from shadowed spaces to his sides. There was little room to maneuver in this section of the alley - which had clearly been the plan for his assailants who immediately started to box in the teenager. Sage reached into his jacket pocket and rolled the kanji orb loosely in his fingers. These men had no idea what they were getting into.

Sad thing was, Sage didn't think he could openly use the kanji orb. He wouldn't kill another human and witnesses left complications - especially if these men had already identified him and his friends from the school or hotel. No… he'd have to try and handle this barehanded. He still kept the orb in his grip, just in case.

The fight was short. Almost embarrassing for Sage as he underestimated his opponents. The first two attacks were easy enough to dodge but had caused a vulnerability for the third assailant to move in with a syringe from behind. Sage felt the poke against his neck and staggered back, clawing at the irritated injection site but the damage was done.

Sage quickly fell to unconsciousness, his kanji orb landing on the ground next to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N and Warning:** This is one of those lengthy chapters with a lot of detail. Hopefully it keeps pace. **This chapter gets a little sexual in nature - I didn't think it's enough for a M rating based on what I've written before, but please let me know if you feel it should be; I can always change it.** Please review - I love feedback.

Chapter Three

Sage knew he'd been drugged shortly after waking. One of the first fleeting memories he had managed to grasp was the prick of the needle against his neck before blacking out during the fight. Halo healed fast but whatever they'd hit him with was potent and he was struggling to pull out of the abyss. After hanging in the dark room for what felt like hours, his mind finally started working again and he was able to put some focus into his current situation.

He was being held upright by his wrists and it didn't take much struggling to deduce that it was the sharp metal of handcuffs holding him captive to the ceiling above, biting tightly into his skin. His feet were touching the ground, but with the drug still pumping through his system, his limbs were too weak to get leverage to stand on his own accord. He hung still, waiting for his muscles to awaken further while he observed his surroundings.

The room was very dimly lit, but he could make out the outlines of crates scattered about the concrete floor and lining the walls. Part of the wall to his left was crumbling with age, leaving a large hole in the structure. Directly across from him was a door that hung loosely upon aged hinges. And, beyond that, the steadily growing sound of voices.

Sage once again attempted to get his feet under him – wanting to be at his best, well at least standing on his own power, before facing his captors again – but his muscles refused to cooperate and he felt the sharp yank against his shoulders as his weight settled back into the cuffs. Sage huffed in frustration just before the door rocked open. A light was flicked on causing Sage to flinch.

Five men entered the room, each one holding a focused, appraising gaze on Sage before they started speaking hastily in Khmer.

" _He's too old. We won't make any profit on this one."_

" _We will. We just have to advertise for his unique features – find the right clients. There are plenty who will pay."_

" _He does have an exotic look with those grey eyes and blonde hair. How old is he?"_

" _Let's find out."_

A larger man with broad shoulders stepped forward, an ecstatic smile on his face. Sage immediately recognized him as the man he bumped into when they first arrived in Phnom Penh. This time, rather than a well pressed business suit, he wore a wrinkled tee and cutoff jeans. The man seemed to have no regard for personal space as he got too up close for Sage's liking.

"My beautiful Angel." The stranger spoke possessively, just barely above a whisper as he stroked a hand through Sage's blonde locks. He then placed a hand on either side of Sage's face, ensuring eye contact with the teen. "How old are you?"

Sage managed a cold, snarl and kept his mouth firmly closed, refusing to answer.

"You going to make me much money Angel," the man continued talking in broken English. "Boss thinks you too old but will show him. How old my angel?"

'Angel?' Sage thought. 'What is wrong with this guy?' Sage found enough leverage in his neck to jerk his head back but the man's hands tightened and pulled him right back before giving him a back-handed slap that split the corner of Sage's lip. "How old?" He demanded again.

Not since his captivity with Talpa had Sage felt so helpless. Between the drug holding his body hostage and the peering, expectant eyes of his assailants he just wanted to be left alone – give the drug a chance to run its course so he could escape – and the only way that might happen is if he answered their questions.

Sage coughed slightly, trying to get his vocal cords working again and ground out, "15" through clenched teeth.

"Good Angel." The man responded as though praising a puppy and let his hand roam back through Sage's hair very gently. "You listen to me. Mine now."

The words made Sage shiver. Just what the Hell had he gotten involved in?

After being forced to speak, Sage's tongue felt lighter and he managed to form his own words to counter his captor. "I belong to no one. Who are you and where am I?" He responded sternly, voice dry from dehydration.

"No talk." Was the man's answer as he continued to paw at the fettered teenager.

Halo's advanced healing had finally caught up to the drugs and Sage could sense the sudden return of strength back in his legs. Perfect timing.

Just as the stranger leaned forward to plant a kiss on Sage's forehead, the teen sprung up and kicked him squarely in the chest. The blonde realized for the first time at that moment, his shoes and socks had been removed, causing the soles of his feet to sting slightly from the impact.

The man flew backward, shattering one of the crates against the far wall. The attack wasn't as hard as Sage had hoped but it was enough to do some damage and let his assailants know he wasn't in the mood for being treated like some pet.

Sitting up dumbfounded, the stranger rubbed a hand against his aching head. The other men in the room seemed to form mocking phrases as they laughed heartily over their friend's predicament. Not so amused, the man shrugged off any soreness while rising and making his way to one of his comrades. He held out his hand, requesting something.

The object given to Sage's attacker caused a cold chill to run through the teen. He stared at the filled syringe as his attacker advanced again. This time though, Sage was ready and got both feet under him in a fighting stance. Even without the use of his hands, he could put up one Hell of a fight; and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to put up a fight over being drugged a second time.

His attacker limped over, still feeling Sage's first advance and kept his distance for a moment, calling out a command in Khmer. There was movement from the other four men then. Three moving in to surround the teenager while one hung back near the corner of the room.

"Get the fuck away from me." Sage stated in his most commanding voice, trying for intimidation but his captors didn't seem phased by his temperament.

"Bad language Angel. You will need taught." Was the response.

One of the men was just getting within range and Sage steadied himself to kick out again, but before he could, there was a loud clanking sound and a sharp pull at his wrists, raising his body up higher from the ground. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sage realized the man who hung back was operating a pulley system that took the teen's body completely off the floor. His already tender wrists screamed with pain as they held up all of Sage's weight.

Now, a few inches off the ground, Sage had no leverage, and the three men advanced without hesitation. The teenager swung his legs out but two of the men merely grabbed each leg and held them together while the third came around behind Sage to hold his torso still.

Unable to move, Sage watched in fear as the broad man, now holding up the syringe, moved in for the plunge. The needle lit a fire in Sage's neck as the chambers contents were emptied. The teenager let out a string of swear words that were holey uncharacteristic of their speaker.

His attacker removed the needle and frowned, not seeming to like Sage's foul mouth and moved to a nearby crate to seek out some rags that would stem the stream of disrespectful language. The three men holding Sage, seemed to be satisfied that the teen was subdued and left the room hastily – the pulley operator followed shortly after his comrades.

Now Sage was left alone with the possessive, burly man who wouldn't stop calling him Angel. The drug pulsing in his system now wasn't the same as the concoction used before. Sage's mind was still fairly clear and he didn't feel at all like passing out. Unfortunately, this serum seemed to be meant not for his consciousness, but for his physical cooperation. Sage had lost the complete use of his limbs and hung limply in the handcuffs, barely able to keep his head up.

The stranger had been observing Sage's surrender to the drug and once he was confident there would be no counter attack, he moved forward. The man held the teen's jaw open to stuff one of his rags inside and once that was in place, tied a second rag over Sage's mouth, knotting it behind the boy's head securely.

Sage tried to form a sentence against the gag but only jumbled syllables and grunts passed through the thick cloth. He felt the man's hands snaking over his torso and up his arms and wished he could do anything to make the skeevy feeling go away, even if unconsciousness was the answer; but as it was, he just had to endure the contact.

"Better Angel, better. So pretty." The man's countenance was once again happy, almost giddy as the situation was going his way. After placing a kiss on the teenager's cheek, he pulled a blade from his back pocket; and Sage watched warily as the man began slicing through the thin cloth of his t-shirt.

Within moments, Sage's tattered shirt fell away to reveal his bare chest, toned from years of martial arts training. The teen tried moving again, but there was no response from his muscles. The man took a moment to stare hungrily at Sage's flesh before advancing again. Only this time, his hands fumbled with the button and zipper of the boy's jeans.

Sage tried to speak through the gag again in protest but could not communicate any better than before. His pants slid down easily before dropping to a heap below his feet, leaving only his green boxer shorts to keep any modesty. Sage clenched his eyes closed, blushing in embarrassment at his helplessness.

"So, so pretty," the man spoke again, "And all mine Angel. You will make customers very happy." The roaming hands were back and Sage couldn't help the stray tear that trailed his cheek as the man's words finally sunk in. Sage was usually quick on the uptake but now had to face what he'd been denying since the man first spoke. This wasn't about ransom or just one man's delusions. He was going to be bought and sold for the sexual pleasures of whoever wanted a turn with him. The drug would keep him cooperative and unable to fight back. He'd heard about this sort of illegal activity before on news specials.

The man used his bulk to lift Sage further off the ground and unhooked the handcuffs from the pulley system. He shifted the teen's unresisting body onto his shoulder and moved into the dark hallway. On their way, they passed many rooms and many young children, mostly girls. Each seemed to be content with what was happening and curious about the new occupant in the building. A couple girls that couldn't have been more than 10 years old followed the two guys through the twisting halls until they arrived at an unoccupied bedroom.

Very gently, the man flipped Sage off of his shoulder and onto the bed to lie on his back. He seemed to notice the unshed tears in the teenager's eyes and cooed reassuring words to him like he was one of the little girls occupying the building, obviously, a brothel. The little girls crouched in close, smiling at Sage and speaking in Khmer. Some even climbed up on the bed to touch his pale skin and blonde hair. They had probably never seen anyone with looks like his own. It was a stark comparison to their dark hair and brown skin.

The man got up then and disappeared into the hall, leaving Sage alone with only the staring, wide-eyed children. The teenager felt a strong urge to save these kids – it was part of his nature and he would gladly use the armor of Halo to do so if his armor orb hadn't been knocked from his hand during the fight. His friends would find him, he was sure of that. He would get his vengeance on this evil and free these poor young souls from it. If he could just focus on that, he could survive any tortures this place had in store.

In stark contrast to the dilapidated walls and overall sense of filth, the bed Sage had been placed on was remarkably clean. Adorned with what felt like silk sheets in a calming turquoise color and bright pink pillow cases above his head. The room was cleaned up, with child toys in their proper places on shelves. He could almost imagine that he was simply laying in his little sister's room.

All too soon, Sage's captor returned and instructed all the young children to leave the room. He closed the door behind them and Sage could hear giggling from the hall as they scattered. Sage could guess what was about to happen and assumed the girls were just as aware even if they didn't realize how inherently wrong it was for any of them to be experiencing such things at their age.

Sage clenched his jaw and stared up at the ceiling. Ready for whatever came next. He was still a virgin but old enough to know how sex and raped worked. His hope was that his logical mind could keep the emotional part of things locked far away. To his surprise, the man merely sat on the bed next to him, still with appraising eyes, but not making any advances. The lack of activity made Sage more nervous.

The man smiled and placed a few items he had in his hands on the bed. The first was a rope which he gently tied to Sage's handcuff chain before moving his arms up and connecting them to the headboard. The teenager had suspected he would be restrained again – the drug wouldn't last forever, thankfully. He was counting on the drug wearing off for his next escape attempt and if the wood of the headboard was as week as the walls of the building, it would be quite easy to break free.

The other object the man had appeared to be a lotion bottle and he pulled that up next. Sage soon found out that it was in fact a thick paint and the man took great care to start rubbing it into the skin of the teen's arms. He continued the process until satisfied that the limbs were covered and then continued down to Sage's chest and then legs. His boxers were not touched. The man then turned Sage's unresponsive body to his side so he could spread the paint over his back as well.

While being manhandled, Sage was able to catch sight of his sticky covered skin. Glitter. Gold glitter was everywhere. 'Okay,' Sage thought while rolling his eyes, 'this guy is taking the Angel thing way to seriously.'

When finished, the man moved Sage to his back again and looked proudly over his work. The glitter made the boy look years younger – more appealing to his usual crowd of clients, and to his own desires. He moved to use the third item he brought with him – a cell phone – and snapped several shots of the helpless teenager. Sage tried in vain to swallow his shame over the situation, wondering just how many people would see those photos – hopefully no one he knew.

When Sage's captor was done, he placed the paint and phone on a high shelf and settled himself on the bed, spooning up against the teenager. Sage wanted to crawl out of his skin as the man's hands traveled over him possessively, hot breath on his neck and face as he felt the man's arousal against his thigh. Still unable to move under the power of the drug, Sage could do nothing as those roaming hands did move to the waistband of his boxers and beneath.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Yea Ma, I know we were supposed to be home yesterday. Yes, I'm okay and being careful. It's just that Sage is missing and we can't come home until we find him. Yes, I said missing. Don't say that. I'm sure he's okay. Probably just took a wrong turn with the taxi."

The other three Ronin Warriors sat out on the curb in street clothes listening to Kento try to explain to Mama Faun why they hadn't returned to Japan yet. Out of all the parents, she was by far the most panicked – of course they hadn't called Sage's mom yet. None of them really wanted to be on the receiving end of that conversation. Luckily, Sage was also granted the most freedom from his parents; so it was less likely they would notice him missing for a few days.

"I just don't understand it." Ryo commented aloud. "He was right behind us. We were travelling as a group. Why would one taxi just veer off from the rest when we were going to the same location?"

"That's the big question isn't it." Cye responded. "There clearly had to be some preplanned motive to the action."

"What's even more troubling is that we haven't had any mental contact with him through the link in our armors." Rowen stated. "If he's in danger we should have heard a call for help by now. Being able to feel his life force isn't enough for us to know his state of mind."

"Yes Ma, we'll be safe. I'll call every day. Okay. Three times a day. Yes. Love you too." Kento hung up swiftly before his mom could go on another tangent about safety. "Guys, we gotta get Sage quick or my mom might just lose her mind. She did say she'd call Sage's mom for us though so that's a plus."

"Or not. Kento, wasn't your mom's first conclusion that he'd been picked up by sex traffickers? Mr. and Mrs. Date hear that and we'll have a whole police squad down here looking. This could just be dynasty activity." Ryo stated.

"Who cares if the police are looking too." Rowan retorted, "Even if it is dynasty related. The more people we have searching, the faster we'll find him." He continued hotly, upset at the lack of mental contact and clues for Sage's current location. He grasped at the small kanji orb in his pocket – the only trace of Sage they had found so far. He pulled it out, trying to take comfort in the warm green glow.

"It's odd that he left his armor orb in the middle of the street." Cye mentioned, watching Rowen's actions with sympathy. He knew those two were closer with each other than the rest of the group. "Was he trying to summon his armor or did he just leave it here as a clue to help us find him?"

"Hard to say; but if we've got nothing by tomorrow, I say we do go to the local police." Kento chimed up. "At least they'll know the area."

The other three Ronins nodded in agreement and continued to walk the back roads for the rest of the night… hoping to find some further trace of their friend.

* * *

First thing in the morning and true to his word, Kento phoned the local police. The four teenagers met the officer at the spot Sage's kanji orb was found.

"You see," Cye explained, "It's just a marble he keeps on his person for good luck. It wouldn't be like him just to drop it."

Officer Hannah nodded. He had listened to the boys' tale about making it to the airport without their fifth companion and then trying to track him down for the past day by themselves.

"How old is your friend and can you give me a physical description?"

"15." Rowen responded, "Just shorter than me with blonde hair and gray eyes."

The officer humphed, beginning to get an idea of what likely happened just based on the young man's age and appearance. "Did any of you notice anything unusual during your stay here. Anyone strange approach you?"

Rowen swallowed the knot in his throat, deep down thinking about how this wouldn't have happened had he not encouraged his friends to ignore their gut reactions the other evening. "There was a man watching us. I'm not sure how long but he seemed interested in what we were doing the other night. He didn't get close though, just stayed back talking on his cell phone."

"His appearance?" The officer added, making additional notes on his pad of paper.

Ryo responded, "Tall and bulky but dressed for business. A gray suit and black hair. Sunglasses covered most of his face."

The officer nodded and took a moment to finish his notes. The four Ronins shuffled their feet in anxiety waiting for anything Officer Hannah could offer about the situation.

The policeman finally looked up, meeting the young mens' worried expressions, and sighed. "Unfortunately, your description of this fellow who noticed you is not unfamiliar to us. Particularly the larger than average sunglasses. He's been identified as part of a child trafficking ring here in the city - often showing up in some way prior to the abduction. We do not know which ring yet but we do have some leads we are currently following. Your friend's appearance certainly would have garnered this man's attention. They will go for Westerners when they can."

"Oh, Sage isn't from the West." Kento shot back. "He's from Japan just like us."

Cye shushed his friend. "He has a Western appearance Kento; it doesn't matter where he is actually from - it's why he was targeted."

"Officer Hannah," Ryo spoke up, "We'd like to help with the investigation anyway we can. Is there anything the police are currently doing about the problem?"

The officer thought through his response. These boys seemed so eager to help and he sensed that maybe they could.

"Look, the hotel where you're staying... we have a sting going down there tomorrow night. We're hoping that our 'buyer' can get into one of the brothels and we can trace that signal. I'm not saying we'll find your friend, but we may get lucky. Of course, safety is of the most importance, especially if I let you help as civilians. You'll have to wait while we raid the hideout. Only when you get the all clear can you help us with removing the victims."

"We'd be honored to help. Even if we don't find Sage right away, there are so many others in his place that need us." Ryo responded sincerely.

The other three teenagers nodded in confirmation and Officer Hannah agreed to call them once the raid had started with a location.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

When the officer's call came, the four Ronins donned their sub-armors for speed and dashed over to the scene of the raid. They powered down in an alley across the way while watching several of the arrested villains being hauled into a police van.

The teenagers swiftly sought out Officer Hannah who gave them instructions on how to cautiously handle the victims. He said the boys would likely be less threatening to the younger victims. The building was large enough that the Ronins decided to split up on their search - knowing that they could use their mind link if needed.

* * *

"Sage!" Rowen called out in distress as he stood in the cracked doorway of one of the small back rooms in the makeshift brothel. He knew it was possible that his friend could be in the bowels of this Hell, but his mind momentarily refused to accept the truth before him.

His friend was laid out on white satin sheets in only his boxer shorts, covered in glitter of all things. The shimmering sparkles seemed to make the whole situation so much worse – made his friend appear so much younger and vulnerable. Sage's eyes were just barely open, unfocused, and gazing up toward the ceiling. If he had heard Rowen call out, he didn't react to it at all. Rowen shook himself from his stupor and moved forward swiftly.

"Sage, come on buddy." He said lightly tapping his friend's cheek. Rowen moved Sage's head slightly, trying to make eye contact and hoping for some acknowledgement from the blonde. Still not getting a reaction, Rowen swiftly went about working out the knotted rage at the back of Sage's head and removing the saliva-crusted gag. He discarded the offending cloth and went about undoing Sage's hands from the headboard next. The rope fell away easily enough but he was unable to do anything about the handcuffs at this time – he had no key and didn't want to risk injury to his friend by trying other methods to remove the heavy metal.

"Alright now Sage, you're freakin' me out. I need you to get out of that head of yours." Rowen knew his friend had probably retreated deep within his mind to escape the torture. Even when in a relaxed, meditative state he could be hard to rouse, so Rowen wasn't counting on waking his friend to be easy.

Sage and Rowen had had many lengthy discussions about their armors and the psychic powers that linked the warriors together. Although Rowen hadn't tried the psychic link intentionally, Sage had once told him it could be done and the archer felt now was as good a time as any to try out his friend's methods.

Rowen placed a few fingers against Sage's temple and closed in eyes in deep focus, trying to pull on his armor's power without actually using the kanji orb. His fingers glowed a dark blue against his friend's skin and he mentally called out Sage's name, prodding the blonde to answer.

Within minutes, Sage released a deep gasp and blinked swiftly, trying to clear the fog in his mind. He could just make out Rowen's blue hair and closed his eyes momentarily in relief – his friends had found him, finally.

"Ro," he managed to choke out with a slight smile. The taller boy immediately snapped out of his semi-meditative state and gave the blonde a bright smile.

"Hey there Dreamer, was just wonderin' if you left reality permanently."

Sage huffed but knew that he was very close to doing just that to escape to torment of his situation. The blonde tilted his head slightly and twitched his fingers and toes, testing his range of voluntary motion. Rowen noticed the slight movements and his brow wrinkled up in confusion.

"Testing. Drugs." Sage gasped dryly in explanation, dehydration getting to him. He managed to glance up at the shelf by the bed and saw the usual glass with water. "Drink?" He asked Rowen while looking at the cup.

Rowen seemed to understand and took hold of the plastic glass. "Are you sure? What if this is what's keeping you drugged."

Sage shook his head slowly in the negative and motioned for the glass. Rowen helped hold it up to his lips as Sage took several long gulps followed by a few deep breaths. With his throat feeling more relieved, he further answered his friend, "Highly doubt it's the water. The guy's been administering a shot once a day; some kind of sedative, makes it near impossible to move. The motion I have now is just because the dose is late."

Rowen frowned. Drugged daily? No wonder Sage hadn't been able to call out for help through their mental link of the armors. "Think you can sit up Buddy?"

"I'd love to try." Sage responded – comfortable as the bed was, he was sick of laying on his back. The position itself just made him feel dirty after all the abuse he'd suffered.

The blue-haired boy helped Sage up to lean against the wall. His hands came away from the blonde's skin sparkling. "Dude, I gotta ask. What's with the glitter?"

Sage only shrugged, "Just paint", not particularly wanting to answer out of embarrassment. Instead he asked, "Where are the others?"

"The guys are in other parts of the building. The government staged a full-on raid and allowed us to help move the girls out of here. The little ones are being loaded onto a bus to go to a group home for rehabilitation. Hopefully, a lot of them will make it back to their families."

Sage couldn't hide the look of relief. He wouldn't have been able to leave this place without knowing the kids were all safe.

"So," Rowen continued, "I answered your question. You answer mine. Why are you sparkly?"

Sage took a deep breath before responding. "My assailant thought I was an angel and apparently, the glitter helped with his fantasy." The blonde shivered violently for just a moment. "He just kept reapplying it. And his clients seemed to enjoy it as well. Made me look younger for them. Most of them wanted little boys but were willing to compromise based on my looks." Saying it out loud made Sage want to throw up. He was glad he didn't have more of an audience.

Rowen looked at his friend sympathetically when Sage refused to meet his eyes over the explanation. "It's okay Dreamer. Not your fault at all. Some people are just sick. As soon as you're ready to move, we'll get out of here and wash that crap off ya."

"Can we go now?" Sage pleaded, sounding like a little kid. "I don't want anyone else to see."

"Sure pal. I can support most of your weight as long as you can stay on your feet." Rowen obliged, glancing around the room for a blanket. It didn't take long to find one. "We'll use this to cover your skin. I'm not sure if this place has an accessible back door so we'll have to go out the front. Do you know where the handcuff keys are?"

"No idea, but if there are police here, any one of their handcuffs keys will pop the lock." Sage advised, having learned that tidbit from his father whose profession was a police detective back in Japan.

"Okay, we'll grab someone on the way out. Let's go." Rowen urged, anxious to get his friend away from that Hell.

Their way out had been slow and cumbersome, much to Rowen's disliking. It hadn't taken long for the two boys to find an officer with a key to remove Sage's handcuffs which made their commute much easier now that Rowen could get one of his friend's arms up over his shoulders.

The two boys also ran into Ryo on the way out. In hushed whispers, Rowen explained how he had found Sage and that they needed to get back to the hotel as soon as possible. Ryo looked concerned but didn't want to hinder them anymore than necessary. He let Rowen know he would catch the other's up on the situation and would meet the two teenagers back at the hotel once the brothel clean-up was complete. Ryo waved down one of the officers outside and arranged a ride back for his two friends.


End file.
